Photo: Eric Zachanowich/Disney
PeterPan & Wendywill leave you thinking nothing but happy thoughts!
Disney’s latest live-action film is an adaptation of 1953’s animated-hitPeter Pan(based on J.M. Barrie’s novel of the same name) and is slated tostream exclusively on Disney+in April.
First look images and theofficial trailergive glimpses of the well-known characters: the young boy who refuses to grow up, the London girl on the verge of adulthood, a tiny fairy trailed with pixie dust and an intimidating pirate with a hook as a hand.
As for the setting? Neverland of course! Well, technically, the Faroe Islands and Newfoundland — a few of the locations where filming took place when production for the film kicked off in 2020.
“In makingPeter Pan and Wendy, we set out to craft a film that honors both the original J.M. Barrie text and Walt Disney’s animated adaptation; we wanted to invigorate our retelling with emotional sincerity, an open heart, and a grand yearning for adventure,” director David Lowery said in a press statement.
“Hundreds of incredible artists spent many years bringing this film to the screen; I’m excited for audiences to see their work, to go on this ride and to rediscover an evergreen tale from a new perspective,” he added.
Lowery’s retelling is just the latest adaptation of the classic book; other big-screen retellings have includedSteven Spielberg’sHookin 1991, Universal’sPeter Panin 2003 and Warner Bros. Pictures' most recentPanin 2015.
But the most recent interpretation has elicited some mixed reactions from superfans of the original book and film (among the changes causing debate: the"Lost Boys" now include girls).
Here’s everything to know aboutPeter Pan & Wendy, including who’s in the cast and when it premieres.
What isPeter Pan & Wendyabout?
Disney+
The officialDisney+ synopsisreads: “Peter Pan & Wendyintroduces Wendy Darling, a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind, who meets Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up. Alongside her brothers and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell, she travels with Peter to the magical world of Neverland. There, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook, and embarks on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that will change her life forever.”
Although the main storyline is familiar to the original tale, Lowery’s retelling of the fantasy includes several differences. Aside from the upcoming film being a live-action adaptation as opposed to animated, there are other updates that include more diversity among the cast and girls among the Lost Boys.
Peter Pan& Wendyjoins other titles likeBeauty and the Beast,The Lion King,Aladdin,Mulanand more to get the animation-to-live-action treatment. Disney is also working on a live-action update ofBambiand the previously mentionedThe Little Mermaid.
Who’s in thePeter Pan & Wendycast?
Disney
Newcomer Alexander Molony is cast as Peter Pan, the film debut for the young British actor. Starring alongside Molony isMilla Jovovich’s daughter,Ever Anderson, who plays Wendy Darling in the film.
Grownishstar Shahidi recently described her prep to play the beloved fairy, which included “creating playlists” to get into character — a detailed process that she described as"fun and a bit absurd."
Eric Zachanowich/Disney
Meanwhile, Law’s role as Captain Hook follows in the footsteps of Hans Conried (the voice of Hook in 1953’s animatedPeter Pan), Jason Isaacs (in 2003’s live actionPeter Pan) and Dustin Hoffman (in Spielberg’s 1991Hook).
“I knew most of the performances pretty well because they were all iconic performances in good films,“Law told Yahoo Entertainment at Disney’s D23 Expo. While he didn’t refer to the past films as part of his preparation to play the character, he said, “I probably used it as an excuse to go back and watch them.”
Is there aPeter Pan & Wendytrailer?
Disney+ released the first fulltrailerforPeter Pan & Wendyin February 2023, showing Molony and Anderson in the titular roles, plus Shahidi as Tinker Bell and Law as Captain Hook.
Who directedPeter Pan & Wendy?
Getty
“Personally speaking, it’s my favorite thing I’ve ever made, which I wasn’t expecting going into it, but it is,” Lowery told the outlet in 2021. “I’ve never been as in love with a movie as I am with this one… It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever made.”
When doesPeter Pan & Wendypremiere?
Peter Pan and Wendypremieres exclusively on Disney+ on April 28, 2023.
source: people.com
